Opinion

It’s hard to characterize TVA’s role in the ash spill cleanup thus far: The fox guarding the henhouse or the chickens guarding the henhouse?

Neither is good.

But however you look at it, it is clear the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s increased role in the cleanup effort is an improvement.

Already, concerned residents are being afforded some comfort with new indepth toxicology and health testing. And as you can tell from our stories on Page 1, the EPA seems to have an improved focus on communication.

The old Roane County Courthouse in Kingston is high on the list, but so is the Temperance Building in Harriman, the Carnegie-built Harriman Public Library, which is nearly 100 years old, and the Southern Railroad Depot in Oliver Springs.

So far, caring people who understand the importance of these treasures — both for tourism and for the cultural heritage of the residents — have helped these structures survive.

Former Roane County elections administrator Tony Brown lost his job because of politics last Friday.

Brown is a Democrat. But a change in the state legislature, from a Democratic majority to more Republicans in power, meant that Republicans also get the edge in county election commissions across the state by three GOP members to two Democrats.

And as a result, and not unexpectedly, Brown was ousted and a Republican was put in his place.

We (and the state attorney general) have issues with that process, but that is another matter.